http://dx.doi.org/10.24016/2024.v10.438
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Attachment and mental
health in families of native people: A cross-sectional study
Apego y salud mental en familias de nativos: Un estudio transversal
Jhonny Bautista
Valdivia 1*, Jaime Sebastián F. Galán Jiménez 1, Benito
Daniel Estrada Aranda 1
1 Faculty of Psychology,
Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
*
Correspondence: jhonny.bautista@uaslp.mx
Received: November 15, 2024 | Revised: December 15, 2024 | Accepted: December 28, 2024 | Published Online: December 31, 2024
CITE IT AS:
Bautista
Valdivia, J., Galán Jiménez, J., Estrada Aranda, B. (2024). Attachment
and mental health in families of native people: A cross-sectional study. Interacciones, 10, e438. http://dx.doi.org/10.24016/2024.v10.438
ABSTRACT
Background:
Globally, 13% of children experience a mental disorder. Mental health problems
in infancy are closely related to attachment, which serves as the primary bond
within the family and forms the basis for personality development and mental
health. In Mexico, research on infant mental health is limited. Objective:
To determine the relationship between attachment styles and family mental
health in indigenous populations from the southern Huasteca
region of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Method: A cross-sectional,
descriptive, analytical, and correlational study. The study utilized the
Reporting Questionnaire for Children (RQC), Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ),
Attachment Styles Classification Questionnaire (ASCQ), and Mental Health in
Primary Care (MHQPHC). Results: The sample included 179 families with
children aged 6 to 12. Sampling was conducted by appointment, selecting 35
families per locality; 58% of participants belonged to Indigenous communities,
92% were Nahuatl, and 2% were Tenek. Families from
indigenous communities showed higher levels of avoidant attachment. Also, a
significant relationship was identified between avoidant attachment and child
mental health. A strong association was observed between the mental health of
parents and children. Conclusions: Indigenous families experience
disruptions in secure attachment processes due to migratory labor demands,
leading to avoidant attachment styles.
Keywords: structural violence,
attachment, mental health, childhood, indigenous populations.
RESUMEN
Introducción: A
nivel mundial, el 13% de los niños experimentan algún trastorno mental. Los
problemas de salud mental en la infancia están estrechamente relacionados con
el apego, el cual sirve como vínculo primario dentro de la familia y forma la
base para el desarrollo de la personalidad y la salud mental. En México, la
investigación sobre la salud mental infantil es limitada. Objetivo: Determinar
la relación entre los estilos de apego y la salud mental familiar en
poblaciones indígenas de la región Huasteca sur de San Luis Potosí, en México. Método:
Un estudio transversal, descriptivo, analítico y correlacional. El estudio
utilizó el Cuestionario de Reporte para Niños (RQC), Cuestionario de
Autoevaluación (SRQ), Cuestionario de Clasificación de Estilos de Apego (ASCQ)
y Salud Mental en Atención Primaria (MHQPHC). Resultados: La muestra
incluyó a 179 familias, con niños de entre 6 y 12 años. El muestreo se realizó
por cita, seleccionando 35 familias por localidad; el 58% de los participantes
pertenecían a comunidades indígenas, de las cuales el 92% eran Nahuas y el 2%
Tenek. Las familias de comunidades indígenas mostraron mayores niveles de apego
evitativo. Asimismo, se identificó una relación significativa entre el apego
evitativo y la salud mental infantil. Se observó una fuerte asociación entre la
salud mental de los padres y la de los hijos. Conclusiones: Las familias
indígenas experimentan interrupciones en los procesos de apego seguro debido a
las demandas laborales migratorias, lo que conduce a estilos de apego
evitativo.
Palabras claves: violencia estructural, apego, salud mental, infancia,
poblaciones indígenas.
INTRODUCTION
Mexico is characterized by its rich cultural diversity, home to 68
distinct indigenous groups. The indigenous population comprises 12,025,947
individuals, representing 10.1% of the country's total population (National
Human Rights Commission, 2022). But what defines indigenous peoples? According
to Falcón (2015), "an indigenous people is considered a historical
community with an internal structure, occupying or having occupied a specific
territory, sharing a common language or dialect, and maintaining a culture that
is generally distinct from the broader society of the nation" (p. 234).
In Mexico, a region of native peoples is in the state of San Luis
Potosí, known as the Huasteca Potosina,
which is located in the northeast of Mexico, on the northern coast of the Gulf
of Mexico, one of the most marginalized areas of the country (National
Population Council, 2020). The region hosts 54% of San Luis Potosí’s native
population, which represents 45% of the total native population of the country
(Health Sector of San Luis Potosí, 2018). Furthermore, the towns with the most
extreme poverty (Aquismón, 59.05% and Santa Catarina, 58.58%); and moderate
poverty (Ciudad del Maíz, 50.30%; Tanlájas,
50.19%; Tamazunchale, 44.40%; and Tanquián de Escobedo, 48.45%) are in the Huasteca region (United Nations Population Fund, 2011).
Economic and social factors in this region affect the development of
individuals in families (Losada, 2015). One such factor is the lack of
employment that causes a loss of material security and increases mental health
issues such as despondency, stress, anxiety, alcoholism, violence, and suicide
(Brito et al, 2020; Martínez & Téllez, 2016).
In the Huasteca Potosina,
33.1% and 50.8% of native people live in extreme and moderate poverty,
respectively (Consejo Estatal de Población, 2018). During the last decade 1,838
people in this population migrated to the USA, which includes 71.8% of men and
28.2% of women who migrated due to the poor compensation from the coffee, sugar
cane, and orange trade among other main productive activities in this region
(Granados & Quezada, 2018).
According to the Pan American Health Organization (OPS, 2016), mental
health issues have increased the most in the communities of native people and
alcoholism is found in 87% of men and 12% of women. This situation affects
fathers, siblings, and more harshly, wives and children who face its
consequences through intrafamily violence, accidents, identity disorders,
depression, and suicides (National Commission for the Development of Indigenous
Peoples, 2008; Ministry of the Interior, 2017). According to the National
Institute of Statistics and Geography from Mexico (2020), 49 of every 100 women
suffered violence at least once between 2015 and 2016. In 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of family violence has increased by 2.6%. In
Mexico, administrative records on nuptiality indicate that 501,298 legal
marriages occurred in Mexico in 2018. Marriages led to the conformation of a
family; it can create warmth or an unpleasant environment at home affecting the
health of its members (Castellón & Ledesma, 2012).
Furthermore, family functionality is associated with psychological problems in
children (Checa et al., 2019).
Globally, 13% of children have a mental disorder and every 11 minutes a
suicide takes place in children, furthermore, only 2% of the global budget is
dedicated to children’s mental health (United Nations Children's Fund, 2022).
Notably, the prevalence of mental health issues in children in Mexico is
approximately 39%, with a treatment gap of 86% (Khon et al., 2018).
Attachment and mental health
According to Bowlby (1989;2009) attachment is an intimate reaction of
physical and emotional proximity of a child with their caregivers. It develops
from a prenatal age and exists throughout an individual’s life. Attachment is
developed within the family and is intimately related to primary caregivers. In
addition, it is a crucial factor for the development of a child. Bowlby’s
(1968) concept about attachment was adopted by the OPS, an organization that
provides recommendations to protect children. However, the concepts should be
socialized through investigations beyond the laboratory to know the reality
from an individual perspective, providing an ecological validity to the
concepts (Feyza, 2019).
Attachment is not developed with any close person, but rather with a
primary care givers, especially those who provides support, protection, and
security to the individual and meets three fundamental requirements: 1)
provides support in times of need, 2) is a safe haven as they provide relief,
protection, and comfort in difficult times, and 3) develops the mental scheme
of a safe base in the individual that allows them to interact with their
environment knowing that in crisis, they will be supported by the attachment
figure. Thus, attachment is the relationship that provides a safe shelter to an
individual which they can trust for support and comfort; therefore, if parents
fail to meet these requirements it can promote development of insecure
attachment styles in children (Mikulincer &
Shaver, 2016).
Insecure attachment styles developed in childhood can lead to antisocial
behavior, addiction, and aggression in adolescence or adulthood (Acuña et al.
2018). Momeñe & Estévez (2018) involved a sample
of 269 adult men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 and concluded that
insecure attachment styles developed in childhood was associated with anxiety
and emotional disorders in adulthood. Martínez et al. (2019) found a
relationship between psychopathology and insecure attachments with a special
emphasis on physical and emotional inattention. Aguilar et al. (2019) and Díaz
et al. (2019) reported a relationship between one’s upbringing and development
of psychological disorders in childhood.
González (2017) highlights that the type of attachment observed in
people from native peoples of Venezuela such as the Ye'kuana
is characterized by the lack of secure attachments in infants wish has promoted
intellectual, emotional, physical or immune problems. Choate & Tortorelli
(2022) conducted a similar study on attachment in children of indigenous
peoples in Canada, and they report that those who are separated from their
families are more likely to suffer violence, emotional problems, illnesses,
abuse and psychological problems. Also, in the United States of America in
tribal Indian communities, Waters et al. (2024) investigated the relationship
of attachment with the caregiver and the community, concluding that children
are more likely to be physically, emotionally and psychologically healthy if
they are surrounded not only by the care of their parents but also by the
community
Villaseñor et al. (2017) and Alfaro et al. (2015)
emphasized the importance of increasing the number and depth of investigation
on family, mental health, and childhood, especially in developing countries. To
address this research gap, we investigated the relationship between mental
health and the attachment styles in children from 6 to 12 years of age in South
Huasteca of San Luis Potosí.
The South Huasteca area of San Luis Potosí was
chosen for this investigation as 54% of the native population and 28% of the
overall population of San Luis Potosí lives here. Furthermore, native people in
this area represent 45% of the overall population (Sector Salud de San Luis
Potosí, 2018). It is relevant to gain deeper knowledge about mental health and
its relationship with attachment in San Luis Potosí for the scientific
community, especially for the native people in this region. This population has
been explored less empirically. Moreover, in 2018, the Mental Health Law was
introduced for families to prevent, evaluate, follow, rehabilitate, and provide
scientific training to this population (H. Congreso del Estado de San Luis
Potosí, 2018).
The general objective of this study was to determinate the relationship
between attachment styles and mental health in children between 6 and 12 years
of age in South Huasteca of San Luis Potosí. The
specific objectives were: a) to compare attachment
strengths and mental health statuses differ between native and non-native
people, b) to know if a relationship between attachment styles and mental
health exists, c) to investigate the relationship between mental health of
parents and children.
METHODS
Design
Our study was
cross-sectional and correlational.
Participants
The study was
conducted among families in the Huasteca Sur region
of San Luis Potosí, specifically in the localities of Axtla de Terrazas,
Matlapa, Tamazunchale, Tampacán, and San Martín Chalchicuautla. To form the
sample, the approximate population of each municipality, ranging from 30,000 to
90,000 inhabitants, was initially considered. Given the challenges of obtaining
a representative sample due to the geographical dispersion of the communities
and the limited financial resources available, quota sampling was employed.
The sample
consisted of 179 families, with each family represented by two members: a child
aged 6 to 12 years and one parent. Sampling quotas included 36 families per
locality, except in Tampacán, where only 35 families were included due to
difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the total sample, 60% of
families were identified as native and 40% as non-native. Among the parents,
92% spoke both Nahuatl and Spanish, while only 10% of the children were
bilingual in these languages. This sampling approach allowed for the inclusion
of diverse family units across the municipalities in the Huasteca
Sur while addressing logistical and resource limitations.
Instruments
The Mental
Health Questionnaire in Primary Health Care (MHQPHC) for children between 6
and 12 years old, this psychological test measures 10 different psychological
disorders in children through Likert scale responses with 5 options according
to the frequency of occurrence of symptoms (never = 0 points, no symptoms,
rarely= once or twice a , sometimes= 1 point, 1 or 2 days a week, frequently= 2
points, 3 or 4 days a week, always= 3 points, every ). This questionnaire was
chosen because it is designed according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and the International
Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), has a Cronbach's Alpha of .80 for each
condition, and is validated for the Mexican child population (Martínez et al.,
2010).
The Attachment
Style Classification Questionnaire (ASCQ) measures attachment styles in
latency-aged children between 6 and 12 years, this psychological test measures
three attachment styles: secure, anxious and avoidant. The instrument contains
15 Likert- scale items, five items for each attachment style. Subjects can
indicate their rating of the application on a five-point scale ranging from
"not at all bad" to "very good". Items 1, 3, 7, 10 and 15
refer to the secure attachment style, items 2, 4, 8, 12 and 13 to the avoidant
style, and items 5, 6, 9, 11 and 14 to the anxious/ambivalent style. We use the
Argentinian version (Richaud et ., 2019) as it is
suitable for the Latin American population, and is an adaptation of the ASCQ by
Finzi et al. (2002). This instrument has adequate
psychometric properties and Cronbach’s alpha of .80.
The Reporting
Questionnaire for Children (RQC) is a screening test that mental health in
children aged 5 to 15 years. It has a sensitivity for measuring symptomatology
in Mexican children of 87.2% and a specificity for detecting healthy children
of between 73% and 96%. The instrument has a sensitivity to identify the
presence of psychopathology, between 100 to 89.7%; and a specificity to
identify who do not have a disorder, between 62.7 to 95.8%; its cut-off point
is based on one or more symptoms present. This test consists of 10 items and
focuses on the detection of mental health problems in children and adolescents.
The questions of the instrument are designed so that they can be asked to the
parent or guardian of the child, the instrument is scored by placing an X in
any of the two response options and is scored in a simple way, assigning one
(1) point for each positive response, the presence of only one affirmative
response, is indicative of the presence of a mental health problem, which
requires comparison with the ICD10 diagnostic criteria, in order to have more
clarity on the problem presented by the user, and is recommended for use at the
first level of care and is endorsed by the World Health Organization, validated
for the Mexican child population (Gómez et al., 1993).
The Self
Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) (Romero, et al., 2016), is a self-applied
scale that identifies the psychiatric symptomatology that was current or
present during the previous 30 days. From questions 1 to 20, if there are more
than 11 positive answers, the person has a high probability of having
depression or anxiety, depending on the scores in these items. If question 25
is answered affirmatively, probable epilepsy. In the questions concerning
alcoholism and psychosis, with a "yes" answer, the person has a high
probability of being a case. The SRQ has been designed by the World Health Organisation for the purpose of screening and care of
mental health problems in primary health care services, especially in
developing countries. SRQ is easy to administer, has 28 dichotomous questions
("yes" or "no"), and this test has content validity and
concurrent validity. For the cut-off points of the test, the best balance is
reached with a cut-off point of 7 for men and 9 for women and to try to obtain
an adequate balance between the different indicators, in relation to questions
1-20, the best cut-off point is 8, as the test has a sensitivity and
specificity found for the first 20 questions in the general population sample
of 78% and 76%, The positive predictive value (PPV) falls from 90% to 37%,
which would be directly related to the lower prevalences found, while the
negative predictive value rises from 79% to 95%.
Procedures
This research
was conducted between May and August 2022 in the South Huasteca
region of San Luis Potosí, including the towns of Axtla, Tamazunchale, Matlapa,
San Martín, and Tampacán. To access the sample and collect data, support was
sought from school administrators and primary education teachers, who
facilitated the invitation of parents interested in participating. A meeting
was subsequently held with the parents to explain the research purpose. Those
who agreed to participate provided informed consent, after which the evaluation
instruments (MHQPHC, ASCQ, RQC, and SRQ) were administered. All instruments
used in the study had been previously validated through a pilot test involving
30 families from indigenous communities.
Data analysis
The data
collected were analyzed using JASP software, where non-parametric tests were
performed due to the normality test performed, using Welch's t-test for
comparative data with Cohen's d for effect size and omega square ANOVA to
obtain the effect size, this test is used to measure small samples and provides
an unbiased measure for effect size. Both tests share the purpose of measuring
the in-sample effect between variables. Spearman's rho analysis was performed
to identify the level of association between the variables under investigation
(Gross, 2018).
Ethical
considerations
Scientific
research involving human subjects must adhere to ethical principles that ensure
the protection of participants. These principles are outlined in various
international declarations, including the Declaration of Helsinki, originally
adopted in June 1964 in Finland and subsequently revised (Declaration of
Helsinki, 1964). The Mexican General Health Law on Research establishes
guidelines and principles governing all scientific and technological research
related to health. According to this framework, researchers must use
standardized tests validated under the scientific method and possess up-to-date
professional knowledge, as stipulated in Article 16 of the Psychologist’s Code
of Ethics (Mexican Society of Psychology, 2010).
In compliance
with this legislation, the present study was classified as minimal risk, as it
did not manipulate or modify any variables related to participants’ health (H.
Congreso de la Unión, 2024). Participation was voluntary, and all participants
provided informed consent, which outlined the study’s purpose and ensured that
collected data would remain confidential and handled with strict adherence to
ethical standards. No participants experienced physical, psychological, or
other forms of harm. The research project was reviewed and approved by the
Committee of Ethics and Research in Psychology, receiving a favorable
evaluation and the folio number 2131252022 from the Autonomous University of
the State of San Luis Potosí.
All data are
securely maintained by the research team and are available to the institution
for scientific dissemination, with participants' anonymity fully protected.
RESULTS
Description of
participants
Of the 179
surveyed families, 58% considered themselves as native, with 98% belonging to
Nahuatl culture and 2% to Tének culture. The average age of the adults in the
families was 34 years (SD = 7.25). Of the adults, 7.26% were men and 92.7% were
women. Children’s average age was 8 years (SD = 1.6, male = 49.1% and female =
50.9%). Of the children, 60.89% had secure attachments, 31.84% had avoidant
attachments, and 7.26% had anxious attachments based on their ASCQ scores.
Differences
between native and non-native populations
Comparative
scores on the different attachment styles between natives and non- natives of
La Huasteca Potosina are
found in Table 1, where significant differences are reported only in avoidant
attachment with medium effect size, with higher scores on this attachment style
native participants. The result may indicate that the differences between the
non-native and native population gives a 60% probability that infants from
indigenous peoples have avoidant attachments, thus increasing the likelihood of
having an association with mental health problems.
Table 1. Differences
in attachment scores between native and non-native participants.
|
Attachment
styles in children |
Statistic |
p |
Mean
difference |
SE
difference |
Cohen's d |
|
Secure
attachment |
0.915 |
0.362 |
0.578 |
0.632 |
0.139 |
|
Anxious
attachment |
1.81 |
0.072 |
1.25 |
0.691 |
0.275 |
|
Avoidant
attachment |
3.527 |
< 0.001 |
1.867 |
0.529 |
0.536 |
Note: degree
freedom = 177.
Table 2
displays the comparison in SRQ and other scores between those who reported any
kind of pathology and those who did not. There were significant differences
between avoidant attachment with a medium effect size and in RQC and MHQPHC
with close to medium effect size.
Table 2. Comparison between
Native and Non-Native Participants in RQC and CSMAP Scores.
|
|
95% CI for mean difference |
|
95% CI for Cohen's d |
|||||||
|
Attachment type |
t |
df |
p |
Mean |
SE |
Lower |
Upper |
Cohen's d |
Lower |
Upper |
|
Secure |
1.41 |
64.3 |
0.16 |
1.02 |
0.7 |
-0.43 |
2.46 |
0.25 |
-0.11 |
0.61 |
|
Anxious |
-0.5 |
58.4 |
0.59 |
-0.46 |
0.9 |
-2.17 |
1.25 |
-0.1 |
-0.45 |
0.26 |
|
Avoidant |
-2.9 |
54.8 |
0.01 |
-1.99 |
0.7 |
-3.37 |
-0.61 |
-0.55 |
-0.91 |
-0.17 |
|
RQC total |
-2.2 |
53.5 |
0.03 |
-0.42 |
0.2 |
-0.8 |
-0.04 |
-0.42 |
-0.78 |
-0.05 |
|
MHQPHC
total |
-2.6 |
70.2 |
0.01 |
-4.21 |
1.6 |
-7.48 |
-0.95 |
-0.44 |
-0.81 |
-0.08 |
Note. Welch's
t-test. RQC (Reporting Questionnaire for Children). MHQPHC (Mental Health in
Primary Healthcare).
Child
attachment styles and parental mental health
An ANOVA was
performed between the children’s attachment styles and parent’s mental health,
which showed significant differences with a medium effect size F=2, 8.92,
p<.001, Ѡ2=.08. The post hoc analysis (Table 3) showed significant
differences with medium effect only between avoidant and secure attachments and
the relationship with mental health of the primary caregivers.
Table 3. Comparison
between attachment style in children and primary caregivers’ mental health.
|
|
95% CI for
mean difference |
|
|||||
|
|
|
Mean
difference |
Lower |
Upper |
SE |
t |
ptukey |
|
Anxious |
Avoidant |
-1.35 |
-4.05 |
1.34 |
1.1 |
-1.2 |
0.46 |
|
|
Secure |
1.2 |
-1.37 |
3.77 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
0.51 |
|
Avoidant |
Secure |
2.55 |
1.12 |
3.99 |
0.6 |
4.21 |
< .001 |
Note. P-value and
confidence intervals adjusted for comparing a family of three (confidence
intervals corrected using the Tukey’s method).
Relationship
between parent-child mental health and avoidant attachment
The
correlation between MHQPHC and avoidant attachment (ASCQ) scores was moderate
but significant with rho=0.28 p<.001. In addition, moderate and significant
relationships were found between the children’s and caregivers’ mental health
(SRQ with MHQPHC and RQC), and a moderate association was found between the
MHQPHC and RQC for children’s mental health (see Table 4).
Table 4. Correlation
between children’s attachment styles and children’s and adults’ mental health.
|
Variable |
SRQ total |
Secure
attachment |
Anxious
attachment |
Avoidant
attachment |
MHQPHC
total |
|
secure
attachment |
-0.13 |
— |
|||
|
anxious
attachment |
0.06 |
0.08 |
— |
||
|
avoidant attachment |
0.21** |
0.14 |
0.14 |
— |
|
|
MHQPHC
total |
0.42*** |
-0.05 |
0.09 |
0.28*** |
— |
|
RQC total |
0.43*** |
-0.05 |
0.17* |
0.21** |
0.42*** |
Notes.
* p < .05. ** p < .01. *** p < .001. RQC (Reporting Questionnaire
for Children); SRQ (Self-Report Questionnaire). MHQPHC (Mental Health in
Primary Healthcare).
DISCUSSION
This study
examined the attachment styles in children between 6–12 years in South Huasteca. Significant differences were found in attachment
styles between native and non-native people; native people had more pronounced
avoidant attachment. This finding is related to children’s mental health issues.
This is consistent with the results obtained by Villaseñor et al. (2017), who
showed that children of native people had more mental health issues compared to
children from urban areas.
There was a
significant relationship between children’s mental health and their avoidant
attachment style, consistent with the results obtained by Martínez et al.
(2019), who reported that mental health issues in individuals develop in
childhood owing to insecure attachments. Furthermore, these findings are
consistent with those of Momeñe & Estévez (2018),
who identified that insecure attachment styles developed in childhood can lead
to psychological issues in adulthood. These findings are relevant because they
offer insights into the possible direct or indirect implications of neglecting
children at young ages due to various reasons.
Furthermore, a
small but significant association was found between parents’ and children’s
mental health, which is consistent with the findings by Díaz et al. (2019), who
mentioned that mental health and attachment styles are associated. These
results are also consistent with those of Carrera et al. (2021) who reported
that the presence of primary caregivers during child development promotes
secures attachments and good mental health in children. Therefore, the children
whose parents had mental health problems and neglected them, developed mental
health problems and insecure attachments.
Goncalves et
al. (2021) investigated the association between mental health problems and
attachment in adults and reported that an individual’s relationship with their
caregivers from early stages such as childhood can determine health problems in
adulthood such as eating behavior problems. Furthermore, the impact of the
development of attachment in childhood can help understand occurrence of mental
health problems in later stages. Other researchers such as Palau & Galán
(2023), who explored attachment patterns, agree with Goncalves et al. (2021)
that attachment style with caregivers in childhood may be related to the type
of mental health problems in adulthood, for example, personality disorders or
addictions. Although none of the investigations involved children, they
highlighted the hypothesis about the possibility of an association between
attachment type and the development of mental health disorders. Therefore, the
present study can contribute to the prevention of chronic personality disorders
by exploring the relationship between attachment type and children's mental
health. However, another line of investigation can be considered regarding the
structural barriers or structural violence in society. These situations may
prevent the development of secure attachments in children by forcing families
to separate or disintegrate by migrating for better working conditions and
remuneration to support the basic needs of the families, hindering the
development of a secure attachment in children due to physical and emotional
distance from primary caregivers.
This study
showed that the children of Indigenous people had a higher prevalence of
pathologies compared to those of non-indigenous parents; as observed in the RQC
and MHQPHC, 27% of children of Indigenous people compared to 18% of those of
non-indigenous people had some pathologies. Therefore, there may be important
elements, such as marginalization or structural violence, that force people to
separate for longer times to support their families in the context of
Indigenous families that contribute to mental health problems at an early age.
Mental health problems in children were diagnosed may be due to the pathologies
already present in the parents since at least 23% of the adult population had
mental disorders and addictions such as alcoholism, a common situation in the
communities of native people of the southern Huasteca
of San Luis Potosí.
Finally, no
difference was observed between the mental health of native people and that of
non-natives. This may be due to the precarious living styles and structural
violence, as suggested by Galtung (1969), from the marginal area where the Huasteca Potosina is located; in
other words, socio-economic difficulties that affect the towns considered in
this study.
Limitations
As a first
limitation, the lack of validity of the measurement instruments for native
population, as well as the fact that the tests are written entirely in Spanish
and are not translated into the languages of the native people. Another
limitation is that the results cannot be generalized since the sample was
limited and chosen by quotas due to the difficult accessibility of the
communities and the high risk due to the low level of security that the
researcher experienced as well as the effects of the post-pandemic Covid-19. It
is worth mentioning that one limitation is the cross-sectional nature of the
study, as it can only be read in the context in which it was carried out.
Furthermore, qualitative research is needed to deepen the knowledge of
attachment relationship styles and the specific characteristics of the natives
to improve the data presented. One of the strengths of this work is that the
main researcher belongs to the Nahua culture, which is one of the factors that
favored this research process. Another aspect to highlight is that the research
carried out on indigenous peoples is innovative due to the scarcity of research
on this type of population. There is also a direct relationship between family
and child mental health, an aspect recommended by the World Health
Organization.
Conclusion
The most
significant contribution of this study was confirmation of the association
between primary caregivers’ mental health and development of attachment style
in children. Avoidant attachment was most prevalent in native people, as
reflected in the mental health test scores of indigenous and non-indigenous
people. Marginalization, poverty, and precariousness are associated with
structural violence in the Huasteca area. The South
San Luis Potosí region faces several challenges in developing families to cover
their basic needs, such as food, housing, clothing, employment, and health.
When these needs are not satisfied, the families are forced to migrate to other
regions of the country or even overseas, causing avoidant attachment.
This research
emphasized the importance of focusing on socio-economic conditions in Mexico,
in addition to promoting public politics, and spreading education on science
that supports, improves, and acknowledges the role of primary caregivers in the
future development of children.
ORCID
Jhonny Bautista Valdivia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5251-8539
Jaime Sebastián F. Galán Jiménez https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8801-5201
Benito Daniel Estrada Aranda https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7811-8525
AUTHORS’
CONTRIBUTION
Jhonny
Bautista Valdivia: Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal análisis,
Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing.
Jaime
Sebastián F. Galán Jiménez: Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing
- Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing.
Benito
Daniel Estrada Aranda: Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing.
FUNDING SOURCE
This paper was supported
by “La Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosí”.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that
there were no conflicts of interest in the collection of data, analysis of
information, or writing of the manuscript.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Not applicable.
REVIEW PROCESS
This study has been reviewed by external
peers in double-blind mode. The editor in charge was Anthony Copez-Lonzoy. The review process is included as
supplementary material 1.
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The authors attach the database as supplementary
material 2.
DISCLAIMER
The authors are responsible for all statements made in this article.
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